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In late 2022, Croatia Airlines announced plans to refresh and simplify its fleet in a pretty exciting way. I wanted to post an update regarding this — not only are we a couple of months from the first aircraft entering service, but Croatia Airlines has also announced plans to introduce Wi-Fi, so that’s pretty cool.
Croatia Airlines will exclusively fly Airbus A220s
Croatia Airlines plans to fly up to 15 Airbus A220s, with the first plane expected to enter service with the Star Alliance airline in June 2024. Specifically:
Croatia Airlines has ordered six Airbus A220-300s directly from AirbusCroatia Airlines has an agreement to lease nine Airbus A220s, including six A220-300s and three A220-100sCroatia Airlines will equip its A220-300s with 148 seats, and will equip its A220-100s with 127 seatsBy 2026, Croatia Airlines intends to exclusively fly Airbus A220s, representing a complete fleet renewalHere’s how Croatia Airlines CEO Jasmin Bajić describes this aircraft order:
“Today’s signing of a contract for the purchase of state-of-the-art Airbus aircraft is a very special moment for all of us at Croatia Airlines. It marks the beginning of a new period of aviation, a new period in the life of Croatia Airlines, a new period for our passengers, and a new period for Croatia’s tourism and economy as a whole.”
For context, Croatia Airlines currently has a fleet of 12 aircraft with an average fleet age of 18 years, including:
Five Airbus A319s, which are an average of ~23 years old, and can seat 144 peopleOne Airbus A320, which is ~22 years old, and can seat 174 peopleSix De Havilland Dash 8-Q400s, which are an average of ~18 years old, and can seat 76 people
Croatia Airlines Airbus A320 cabin
At this point, a fleet refresh seems appropriate, both in terms of the cost of maintaining old aircraft, as well as in terms of fuel efficiency.
The A220 is Airbus’ awesome jet that’s a bit smaller than the Airbus A320-family of aircraft. The plane is fuel efficient and long range. From a passenger experience standpoint, this is probably the most comfortable narrow body aircraft, given the 2-3 layout, the huge windows, and the wide seats.
The Airbus A220 offers a great passenger experience
Croatia Airlines Airbus A220s will have inflight Wi-Fi
Croatia Airlines has announced that for the first time in the company’s history, the airline will offer inflight connectivity. Specifically, the airline will offer Panasonic Avionics’ Ku-band satellite connectivity.
In order to be sure people can actually use their devices onboard, A220s are also expected to feature USB-A and USB-C outlets at every seats, as well as smartphone and tablet holders.
Here’s how the carrier’s CEO describes this development:
“We are thrilled to announce the introduction of onboard connectivity for the first time in our thirty-five years history, coinciding with the arrival of the A220 aircraft. This agreement with Panasonic Avionics aligns with our mission to enhance the in-flight passenger experience and deliver top quality connectivity to our valued customers.”
Croatia Airlines is introducing Wi-Fi on Airbus A220s
What a cool and bold fleet renewal!
Personally I love the concept of an airline having a fleet with just one type of plane. It’s great in terms of knowing what to expect (there won’t be a last minute aircraft swap), and it’s great in terms of operational reliability (swapping planes is easier, you have a bigger pool of reserve pilots, etc.).
There’s something to be said for this type of efficiency, and it’s something that airBaltic has done quite well with in Europe, as a major all-A220 operator (though the airline takes simplicity to the next level, with just a single variant of the A220).
Admittedly this is a bit of a gamble, though. Currently Croatia Airlines has planes with capacity from 76 to 174 seats, so that’s quite a range. Meanwhile in the future, all Croatia Airlines planes will have a capacity of 127-148 seats.
For most markets that will probably work, though there are certainly situations where the A220 may not offer enough capacity, while there are other situations where the A220 may offer too much capacity. I’d think the synergies of having a single aircraft type will largely make up for that.
I do wonder if Croatia Airlines will be forced to cut any destinations because of this change, as the A220 isn’t necessarily able to operate to some of the smaller airports that the Q400 can operate to. Quickly glancing at the list of Croatia Airlines destinations, I don’t see any obvious airports where this should be an issue, but it’s possible I’m missing something.
airBaltic is a big Airbus A220 operator
Bottom line
Croatia Airlines plans to acquire up to 15 Airbus A220s, including a direct order for six planes, plus plans to lease nine additional planes. The first plane should enter service by June 2024, and by 2026, the airline plans to exclusively operate the A220, meaning that all existing A320-family and Dash 8 Q400 aircraft will be retired.
Croatia Airlines’ fleet is getting old, so it’s nice to see that the airline has chosen such a capable jet for its fleet renewal. Furthermore, we’ll finally see the airline introduce USB-A and USB-C outlets, plus Wi-Fi.
What do you make of Croatia Airlines’ Airbus A220 order?
Title: Croatia Airlines Modernizing Fleet With Airbus A220s, Wi-Fi
Sourced From: onemileatatime.com/news/croatia-airlines-airbus-a220/
Published Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2024 15:28:59 +0000
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